The Gorkha Culture and GJMM's Project of Daura Suruwal-Chawbandi Choli

 
 
Culture in general refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultures are unwritten systems of symbols and meanings that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux and that interact and compete with one another. Culture is generally defined as the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that is passed down from generation to generation. It is the way of life for an entire society. Culture evolves, modifies and fades gradually over a period of time. Cultural regeneration or degeneration of a particular community or a social group, therefore, cannot be imposed by force. It happens with time.
 
In the context of above theoretical note, it is worth recalling and debating the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's (GJMM), demand for every residents of Darjeeling hills to wear 'Daura Suruwal and Choubandi Choli' from 7th of October to 7th of November 2008 as part of its movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland. The call basically aims to mark the 'Cultural Revolution' in the Hills and to offer to visitors and tourists the ethnicity of the people of the Darjeeling Hills. Such a move of GJMM has met with stern criticism from a large number of liberal people including the academics, politicians, journalists, and general populace both within and outside the Darjeeling hills.
 
Darjeeling is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual region. It accommodates within its geographical boundary heterogeneous social groups with diverse history, society, culture and tradition. Under such a dynamic situation, autochthonous group like the Lepchas felt/feel offended by such a move as they have their own traditional history and culture. Similarly, other social groups like the Bhutias, Marwaris, Biharis and Bengalis residing in and around the Darjeeling hills were/are not either happy with such a move.
 
More satirically, even within the larger Nepali speaking community, groups were/are divided for and against the wearing of Daura Suruwal-Chaubandi Choli. In this regard, Tamang was the first community to announce that it would not accept Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's diktat on the ground of its own history, culture and tradition. Recently, an article was also published from Nepal that declared Daura Suruwal-Chaubandi Choli as a dress that originated from the royal Shah family of Nepal who had migrated from Rajasthan as refugees. According to it, 'the Shah dynasty had taken refuge in Nepal in the year 1495 from Rajasthan followed by the Rana dynasty in 1559. The Rajasthani dress of 'Daura Shuwral-Chaubandi Choli' also entered Nepal through these two dynasties'. In fact, much before the above mentioned article was published, a noted professor, Dr. Tara Nath Sharma, of Tribhuvan University had argued that daura-suruwal pair comes from the Rajasthani tradition of regional costume. Further, there are numerous accounts about Dhaka (Topi) being initially brought from Bangladesh by the Rana rulers.
 
In this connection, if we delve deep inside and attempt to dissect the Nepali speakers of Darjeeling hills, they consist of several social groups with their own traditional cultures and subcultures including their dresses, food habits, festivals etc.  Hence, Bahun, Chettri, Newar, Tamang, Gurung, Rai, Limbu, Bhujel, Mangar, Kami, Damai, Sarki etc have their own culture and are different from each other. The term Nepali/Gorkha itself is a generic term. It does not connote a particular community or a social group but a host of groups each with different historical, geographical and socio-cultural background. However, over a period of time these groups have gradually been distancing themselves from their indigenous culture for a new Gorkha culture. It is also that the Gorkha culture is not only an amalgamation of different cultures  of the mainstream Nepali speaking groups but it also borrows heavily from other closely related communities like the Lepchas and Bhutias. Further, Darjeeling Gorkha culture is largely influenced by the cultures of groups like Marwari, Bihari, and Bengali that live in and around Darjeeling hills. Gorkha culture is therefore a mixture of several cultures and hence is highly dynamic in nature. It is still evolving and relatively fragile in character.
 
Given the dynamism and tenderness of Darjeeling Gorkha culture, the dictation of GJMM to the Darjeelingeys to compulsorily dress in Daura Suruwal-Chaubandi Choli appears to be highly unscientific that straightaway goes against the nature of contemporary society of the region. Further, smearing of black paint on the faces of individuals defying the dress code imposed by GJMM further makes things debatable. No likeminded individual supports anything undemocratic like this. It is more condemnable when persons holding public positions are involved in such activities.  The so called 'dress codes' should be purely voluntary. Each and every Darjeelingeys are born in a free society and they have their constitutional right to decide upon what to and what not to wear. GJMM along with its leaders and cadres should be very clear of the fact that defying its 'dress code' and supporting the movement of Gorkhaland are two vastly different aspects.
 
 
*The writer is Associate Fellow, Sikkim University, Gangtok*